


Ensnared

by MasterSatanOverlord



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bottom Severus Snape, Consensual Underage Sex, James Potter Lives, Lily Evans Potter Lives, M/M, Past James Potter/Severus Snape - Freeform, Slytherin Harry Potter, Stuttering Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2018-12-16 02:52:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11819712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterSatanOverlord/pseuds/MasterSatanOverlord
Summary: This story begins in Severus' sixth year at Hogwarts. There's a forbidden love affair that will leave someone heartbroken and wanting more. In later years, another affair takes place. But what are the consequences of love? DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Harry Potter or any of the characters or fictional places within the books or movies. I'm NOT making any sort of profit off this story.





	1. Severus: Year Six

Walking through the people filled corridors of the magic castle, young Severus is alone, just as always. He was a shy sixteen-year-old boy who had no friends and no romantic (or sexual) inclinations what-so-ever. There was one person he almost dared to say he had a crush on. James Potter, with his black silk hair, creamy white skin, and almost golden eyes, Severus had found him intelligent, kind, brave, a good person. Though the young loner didn't have any friends, Lily Evans and James Potter were the closest thing he had to the special bond we call friendship. The halls cleared out quickly, everyone eager to be out of classes for the day. Severus had taken his time, walking at a slow pace to the library. He paused, hearing a shuffling noise and some moaning. He didn't recognize the sounds for what they were and thought someone was in trouble. Rushing into the door from where the groans originated, he had an almost fierce face and his wand in hand. His eyes swept the room looking for a threat, or at least the injured person, but instead found James Potter.

Brave, strong James Potter blushing and moaning, his pants down, lower half exposed, and one hand behind his back, moving jerkily but out of sight, unlike his left hand which was stroking his hardened length. His eyes were closed and the smooth skin of his cheeks red and face dampened with sweat. Severus paused, confused, putting his wand away. He was about to turn and walk out when the heavy door to the potions room had finally completed its arching path and had slammed into the wall, creating a loud bang and startling the golden eyed beauty into yanking his second hand in front of himself to make sure he was fully covered, pulling his trousers and robes over his erection. He looked up through his raven black, messed up hair to see the confused boy with an awkward boner he didn't understand.

"S-Severus… I…" He trails off not knowing what to do, he glances down at the ground, noticing the younger boy's hardened length; he looks up at Severus again, taking a few steps closer. Standing right in front of the sixth year, he places his hands on the taller boy's chest, looking up at him through his long, thick eyelashes. He knew the pale-skinned Slytherin had a crush on him and was about to use it to his advantage. "Please Severus… Help me. It hurts…" He spoke softly, pleadingly, as he moved his hand down Snape's body, gently caressing his arm before taking hold of his hand, tangling their fingers together. He squeezes Sev's fingers, begging with his eyes brimmed with tears and ringed in red. Reciprocating the hand squeeze, Severus nods his head almost furiously.

"Of course I'll help you, James! How could I say no? You're the closest thing I have to a friend; I want to take all your pain away!" James had, of course, known this would be the answer. He perked up; face almost joyous as his face lit up with a large grin.

"Really?" Upon the more naïve boy's affirmative, his smile grows and he jumps up, throwing his arms around the taller man and kissing him. "Thank you, Severus! I knew I could count on you! I love you!" The Slytherin froze once James' lips had touched upon his own, but his long arms had wound around his waist, making sure the Gryffindor didn't fall. His pale cheeks turned almost pink as the blood raced to his face and he blushed.

"I… I…" He cleared his throat. "What can I do James? How can I help you?"

James moves his head from Severus' shoulder and looks up into his eyes. "I… I know you're innocent, but… How much do you know about sex?"

Severus was startled by his question and images of having a naked James beneath him, squirming and mewling went through his mind and sent blood rushing to his face and further south, adding to his discomfort. "Ah… Enough I suppose, though none of it is from firsthand experience…" James nodded and pressed his soft, pink lips against Severus' again and whispered against his mouth.

"Well, Sev… You're about to attain some firsthand experience." As he was speaking the older man had begun to unbutton the virgin's robe and pushed it off before shifting his attention to the boy's pants. As James had been pulling off his robes, Severus had stepped out of his shoes and eagerly, yet unsurely, commenced disrobing James as well. Fairly soon, they were both naked, Severus standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do in this situation he had never been in before. "Now what do we do James?" He had researched sex before, but none of it had been homosexual, only between a man and woman. James gives a gentle, understanding smile and grasped his hand. Pulling Severus closer to him, James ran the boy's hand down his chest, showing him how to move for a few moments before letting go of the Slytherin's wrist and stroking his hand down Sev's chest.

After a bit of innocent exploring, James leaned in and kissed Severus. Gently, sweetly, completely chaste at first, before deepening the contact, his tongue darting out to taste Severus' bottom lip. The wet, pink appendage moves slowly to the groove between the younger boy's lips, prying them apart slightly, asking, actually demanding, permission to infiltrate his mouth. He silently complies, parting his lips for his friend and allowing his own tongue to flick out to trace James' lips, shapely as Cupid's bow. The older man takes this opportunity to shove his tongue into Sev's mouth, intertwining their tongues as he does so. The young virgin moans and pulls James flush against him, their penises colliding together and creating a delicious friction that's made better by the Gryffindor reaching down and caressing them both. Wrapping his hand around both their lengths at once and stroking them up and down, moans erupt from both wizards as their shafts slip against each other, lubricated by the precum dripping from their heads and down their shafts, spread by James' hand. "S-Severus…" James pauses in a gasp then continues. "I… I want to feel you- aah!" A needy moan slips out from his throat. "Filling me…" He breathes hard as his hips begin to push his manhood into his hand and against his lover's dick better. Severus' hands trail from James' hips backward, squeezing the Gryffindor's nicely shaped derrière, his grip pulls apart the firm ass cheeks and a muffled, muted buzzing can be heard as Snape kneads Potter's rear, James turns and bends over an unoccupied desk that had previously gone unnoticed, giving the onyx eyed boy a very good view of his butt as well as a glimpse of something that appeared at least part plastic shoved deep inside him. Snape reaches forward and tugs on the plastic cylinder. As it comes out, the earlier buzzing grows louder and the shape seems to be a slightly curved cylindrical piece of silicone, about nine inches in length and two in width, with some vein like textures scattered over it, attached to a plastic base. He pulls it all the way out as James gasps and whimpers, mewling at the sudden emptiness.

"I… I've never done this before James…" He sounds worried as he inspects the detailed, 3D penis fashioned out of silicone and plastic, still vibrating. He eventually finds the button to turn it off and promptly does so then sets it on the desk beside the slim body beneath him. He sees a pale hand reach back, fist clutched around a small bottle.

"Just cover your penis in this, then enter me. Easy." Severus squeezes out some of the slicky stuff and, upon feeling how cool it was, he warms it in his palm for a time before stroking his member into wetness. Once satisfied with his lubrication job, he places the bottle of lube next to the sex toy before sliding slowly, gently, unsurely into his lover.

Once his hardened length was encased entirely by the ring of muscle, he waited a moment before pulling out a bit, gasping and moaning at how hot and tight James was, and his instincts kick in. He stays still for a moment, allowing the man receiving the pounding to adjust to the cock now inside him. Sev begins to pull out slowly, almost all the way, before pushing in all the way again. He keeps the pace slow at first, gradually picking up speed and force to slam into James, gasping, moaning, and mewling beneath Severus. Because this was the Slytherin's first sexual encounter, he releases fairly quickly, exhausted, panting, and gasping James' name. At the feeling of warm, almost hot liquid splashing inside him, coating his walls, and the faltering stutter of Snape's hips, James comes as well, clenching his hands into fists and almost screaming in his release.

After a few moments, they cast a cleaning spell on themselves and dressed in their robes again. They share a couple sweet kisses and plan on meeting up again in the future. Even though he knows the seventh year is in a relationship with Lily Evans, Severus can't help but agree when the man he had a crush on made puppy eyes at him and begged. They decided to keep it a secret from everyone, including Lily. Especially Lily.

Severus and James had been in this hidden, sorry excuse of a sex-ship for around seven months, meeting at least three times a week, sometimes multiple times in a day, when at one of their secret trysts, James had told Severus that they had to cut all ties to each other.

"Severus. This needs to end. I'm in a relationship with Lily, we're to be married after graduation, and she is expecting to have my child." He speaks in a logical voice, but Severus was caught off guard, not expecting this and clearly was upset.

"But… James..? You said we'd be together forever. You said you were going to break up with Lily." He was confused and in denial, not wanting to lose the man who had made his feelings develop from a small crush and admiration, to love, he had fallen in love with James in the last few months and hadn't ever thought of one day never having him near.

James shakes his head and chuckles. "Merlin Severus. You're so gullible. I knew I couldn't talk you into being my fuck buddy if you didn't think I cared. You're too innocent. So I pretended to reciprocate your feelings in exchange for your body. But now Lily's putting out, and pregnant, so now I don't need you. You're so easy, practically a slut." He sneers and walks out of the classroom that had become their meeting spot, the potions room, leaving Severus to himself, crying, without even looking back, feeling not even a shred of guilt or remorse. Falling to his knees sobbing, not only for the loss of his lover or his only friends but also because of the fresh sting of a deep, cutting betrayal.


	2. Harry: Year One

Clinging to his mother's leg, he hides behind her, scared in this dark castle that seemed too large to really exist. Every time they passed someone in the corridors, he hid further behind her, a terribly shy child. Because Harry was so young, he accompanied his mother and father to Hogwarts; well he did start this year anyway. Lily was able to remain at home for an extended time past her maternity leave, staying home with her young son. But for this term, she was asked to return and teach, she agreed on one condition, that she might bring along her child. Dumbledore, the gracious headmaster, easily and readily agreed.

And so, at the age of five, Harry is brought to the best school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily was slightly nervous for her first day back as the Charms professor, she walks into her class room a moment late, the small, even for his age, boy stayed silent and hidden well enough that, until Lily pointed him out, no one had noticed he was there. Harry was sitting behind his mother's desk, following along with her students. Having Harry in class became an everyday thing, students walking in would greet him, and though he was still painfully shy, there were a few students he truly looked up to as elder brothers and sisters.

Every year James and Lily switched off whose class Harry would go to, so the next year Harry went to a Defense Against The Dark Arts lesson at only six. The students were surprised to walk into such a class and find such a small child. And so, as time went on, they alternated. Harry quickly became well-versed in both charms and Defense Against The Dark Arts. When Harry was eleven, the time between two terms, Harry decided to explore places he hadn't had the opportunity to see yet.

He makes sure to check all of the classrooms he would be in. After about an hour, the only place he didn't snoop around in yet was the dungeons. He knew he had to because he would be taking a Potions class, but it was the darkest place in the castle, with many of the ghosts who decided they hated the students but had nowhere else to go. So taking the moving stairs, that he was used to by now down and down, he explores. Taking multiple turns, he soon finds himself lost, not knowing where he was. Opening one of the many large doors, he steps in, entering the potions room (A/N: He doesn't realize this.) the door shuts behind him and he decides this room would be a good place to release tears of fear before continuing to search for a familiar corridor.

He curls up into one of the corners and sobs softly, he doesn't hear the door being opened or how the clicking of shoes bring a man in all black closer and closer to the soon to be first year. Harry only looks up when he feels a large, warm hand on his shoulder.

SSHP SSHP SSHP

Glancing up, I can't see anything past the blinding, stinging tears. My cheeks are hot with embarrassment, a professor, one that would most likely one day instruct me, finding me sobbing like a baby. More likely than not with snot dripping down my face because I was that kind of crier. Brilliant way to start my career at Hogwarts.

"Who are you boy?" The voice is low, soft, deep, definitely a man's. Reassuring and silky, if the way he spoke was slightly clipped as if he didn't want to waste words, and very clear, enunciating every syllable.

"I-I'm H-Harry…" I internally curse my inconvenient, involuntary stutter and reach up to rub some of the tears from my eyes.

"Alright Harry, what are you doing down here? What's wrong?" His voice continues the reassuring tone, making me want to spill my every secret to him.

"I-I was j-just exploring, t-trying to find a-all my c-classes so I w-wouldn't be lost w-when lessons s-start. B-but… I-I got l-lost anyw-way…" I wanted to die. I just admitted to a professor that I, an eleven-year-old boy, was sobbing because I was lost. But of course, that wasn't enough, nooo, he had to be attractive as well. With long, black hair a bit past his shoulders, pale white skin, onyx black eyes. He was tall but thin, lanky. His eyebrows seemed to be furrowed permanently, glued together, his eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Harry, why are you here? Lessons don't begin for another week."

"I-I know. M-my parents are p-professors here s-sir." I run a hand down my face, wiping off the rest of the salty tears and realizing, gratefully, that snot had not yet begun a slick trail down my face.

"Who are your parents, child?"

"L-Lily and James P-Potter sir." He sucks in a harsh breath like he had been punched in the gut. He quickly put himself back together.

"Harry, let's get you back upstairs, yeah? Lunch should be in progress about now." I nod and we both stand, he had been crouching in front of me. He led the way back through the corridors, back upstairs, giving occasional tips on how to find my way around the dungeons. Once we reach the main level of the school, we walk to the Great Hall in silence, but comfortable silence. We push through the heavy doors together and the professors, as well as Dumbledore, all glanced up then stop and stare. My father jumps up and calls to me as he crosses the room.

"Harry! Where were you? Your mother and I were worried sick!" He glances over to the man who had helped me find my way, the look of gratitude slips from his expression when his eyes go over the man in black's face. His face goes cold, his tone hostile. "Snape."

The man sneers at my father. "Potter." Even while glaring at my father as though he were scum, Professor Snape managed to be attractive. I shook my head, refusing to think that when it looked like a war was about to erupt. He had been nice and helped me out, not to mention he looked about my parent's age, I was not about to think that way about him. The only reason I didn't speak up for Snape was because I was definitely not getting between those two. The two men were in the middle of staring each other down so I tugged on the man's black robes. I stare up at him, pushing up my glasses. "P-Professor Snape..?" He looks down at me, a questioning look in his eye. Before I could chicken out, I throw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Th-thank you…" He freezes a moment then places a hand on my head, messing my hair up slightly. I finally release the professor and walk, with my father, who seemed pale, over to where my mother was seated.

Once we had all eaten, my mother said she had something to do for work, but my father and I walk back to the adjoined rooms we share. I was about to open my door and go into my room to read, but my father stopped me.

"Harry, come talk to me a moment." He ushers me into his and Mom's room, he sat me on the bed and pulled over a rolling chair, sitting in front of me. "That man you were with, his name is Severus Snape." My full attention is grabbed, I look up, really focusing now. Severus… I grin, most likely creepily, I like it. It just sort of… fit in the weirdest way. "…Harry?" My father had continued without me realizing it.

"Hmm..?" I bring my focus back to my father's face and tune into what I assumed was a lecture. My father sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose between the tips of his thumb and index finger like he does when running out of patience.

"I said… Professor Snape isn't someone I want you to be around too much. He's not exactly a good person. He-" I cut my father off, defending the professor subtly.

"H-he can't be th-that bad if Dumbledore l-let him t-teach here, c-can he?" My father sighs again, as though weary of handling a child asking the same question again and again.

"Well, Harry… Dumbledore is a very forgiving, very courteous man. Just listen to me okay? Don't hang around Snape when unnecessary." I was tempted to argue, to ask if Dumbledore could forgive the man why James Potter could not, but I could tell from his tone of voice that my father wouldn't give up this fight, so I simply agreed.

"Yes, f-father." He went on for a while more before he allowed me to leave. I walk over to my room deciding that my father didn't know what he was talking about, Professor Snape had been kind to me, had helped me. I made up my mind to come up with any excuse to be around Snape as possible, and to at least thank him, this man had piqued my interest. I was thinking about how I could do this when it hit and seemed obvious. Detention. Of course.

At dinner, I sat with my parents but kept my eyes trained on Professor Snape. Tomorrow all the students arrived via the Hogwarts Express and I couldn't wait to meet a couple people to get into trouble with.

The next day went by slowly waiting for all the students to arrive. I was sitting in an alcove near the entrance, a place where I could clearly see most everything but no one would be able to see me. When the huge doors finally slammed open, I had to fight to not jump up and join the ocean of first years immediately. Instead, I waited until the crowd was well into the entrance hall before I allowed myself to spring up in excitement and join my peers. No one noticed when I slid into the massive gathering of people and took a place next to a tall, thin red headed boy with about a million freckles. He was talking to, more like arguing with, a girl with bushy brown hair and slightly too large front teeth.

I turn to the boy and initiate conversation when there's a reasonably sized lapse in their debate. "H-hello. My n-name is Harry P-Potter. And y-yours?" He had, surprisingly, heard me over the roar of all the chattering first-year students and he even acknowledged my question with an answer.

"I'm Ronald Weasly, just call me Ron though. Only my mum calls me Ronald, and only when she's mad at me." He looked ready to continue the conversation, but the girl cut him off before he could continue, thrusting her hand out in greeting as she parted her lips and began to speak.

"I'm Hermione Granger. A pleasure to meet you." I took her hand and gave it a shake. I feel as though she would have continued as well, but we were brought into the Great Hall, the room where we would be sorted into our houses and the Sorting Hat began his song for this year:

Oh you may not think me pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Once the Hat had finished his rhyme, applause erupted, everyone, praising his most recent song. Then, names were called by Professor McGonagall, the eleven-year-olds being called up one by one to wear the Hat to be sorted. Ron and Hermione were called before me, both going to Gryffindor.

A boy named Draco Malfoy stuck out to me, he was pale with white blond hair and a very confident way about him. The Sorting Hat had barely touched his head when it practically screamed, "Slytherin!" At last, my name was called, I walked to the front, sat on the tripod stool and the hat was flopped onto my head, it was so big it covered my eyes and half my nose.

He sat there a while, contemplative, before crowing out his decision.


	3. Harry: Age Eleven Part I

"Slytherin!" I was shocked, expecting Gryffindor, all my magic family had been. Once the Sorting Hat was off my head, I glanced at Hermione and Ron sitting with the Gryffindors, Hermione was looking at me, but Ron was turned away, she offered me a smile as I made my way to the table Draco was sitting at, I glanced up at the professor's table where my parents were sitting, they looked a bit paler than usual and upset, almost disappointed.

Once I settled down next to the pale blond boy, he turned to me. "Draco Malfoy. And I suppose you're Potter?" His voice is rather condescending, with a special snarky emphasis as he says my name.

"Yes, d-do you kn-know me?" My head cocked to the side in question, surely I'd remember meeting this Malfoy boy.

He snorts and shakes his head. "No. My parents knew yours. Said your father was quite a prick. Always charming and cursing my godfather, Professor Snape." That gained my attention. This boy's godfather was bullied by my father? Why? This was the first I'd heard of it, unsurprisingly as I'm sure my father wouldn't be so casual about it, 'Yes Harry, I want you to avoid Professor Snape, he's a bad man. Oh yeah, I also used to bully him.'

"Do you kn-know why? I c-can't imagine m-my father p-picking on h-him for n-nothing." This was my way of figuring it all out. Why my father had this unreasonable dislike for a man who had been so kind as to help out his tormentor's son.

"Apparently Potter didn't like that Professor Snape was friends with that mudblood girl. Lily Evans Potter." That pissed me off. Not only Malfoy calling my mother a mudblood, but also because of the reason I was given for my father bullying Snape. "Ah. Of course, she's your mum, right? Muggle-born, I suppose you prefer? I didn't mean to offend, just used to hearing it. My parents used to be Death Eaters you see, pureblood supremacists to the extreme."

"R-right, that's alright. I s-suppose I shouldn't b-be so t-touchy, many w-wizards aren't too f-fond of m-muggle-borns…" I mostly forgave him because he had sounded truly sincere and had appeared to be sheepish. I hold out a hand for one of his. "Why d-don't we be f-friends?"

He looked almost confused, shocked even like he thought I was joking, before he took my hand in his and shook it. "Yes, let's be." He smiled and he looked even younger than before.

Once dinner was over, we were lead to the Slytherin dorms and told to go to bed. Mine and Draco's beds were right beside each other so we stayed up for a bit, talking about ourselves, learning about each other, and excitedly pondering what our classes tomorrow would be like.

SSHP SSHP SSHP

In the morning, Draco and I get dressed in our robes quickly and rush to the Great Hall and hurry through breakfast, miraculously not choking on our pumpkin juice, before walking leisurely to our first class of the day: Potions with Professor Snape. We were close to the first ones in class, taking a seat in the Slytherin section, I catch sight of Hermione, catch her attention and wave, she returns the greeting then goes back to reading the very large, very old tome in front of her. Ron rushes in eventually, barely on time, and plops down next to Hermione, sends a non-verbal 'hello' to me, the professor walks in a moment after Ron was situated, his robes billowing out behind him like wings of a sort.

He paces in front of the large desk for a while before opening his mouth slowly to speak. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word—like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." All the students had fallen silent and were enraptured by his speech.

After a momentary silence, Professor Snape gives a kind of pop quiz, I was ready, seeing as Potions was my favorite subject. It seemed only Hermione and I had an appreciation for the subject, both of us raising our hands for all the questions, but he doesn't allow our input instead singling out the pupils who seemed confused like he was speaking a foreign language, he seemed to favor outing those in Gryffindor. After a while, the professor sighed and gave in.

"For the rest of the hour, read chapters one through five, perhaps then you might be able to answer such simple inquiries. Next time we meet we will begin brewing." There was a collective rustling as everyone pulled out their texts and began flipping through the pages. The book Snape had chosen just so happened to be one I had already read about five times. It had all kinds of notes and bent pages and highlights from previous reads, so I simply flipped through the pages, skimming all the words on the paper, both printed neatly and hastily, sloppily, jotted

When the professor excuses us, I leisurely pack my things away, knowing many shortcuts to my next class. Once the rest of the students were gone, I walk up the desk Snape was sitting at, waiting for him to acknowledge me.

"Potter." It doesn't take long, but he remains hunched over the parchment, writing something quickly.

"P-Professor, I j-just wanted to ap-pologize and th-thank you for helping m-me a w-week ago." He glances up, his onyx eyes flicking to mine.

"No trouble Potter. Get to class." As he ends our short interaction, he goes back to inscribing the roll of parchment with lettering.

"Y-yes sir." I walk out, a faint smile on my face as I cross the threshold into the corridor. Then it hit me. I wasn't supposed to be a good student. I was supposed to be getting detentions. I cursed as I made my way to my next lecture, resolving to be worse tomorrow.

I wasn't really able to talk to Ron or Hermione that day, but I did manage to walk with them for a bit before changing routes to my own class.

Throughout dinner, I kept glancing up to where Snape sat, it appeared Draco noticed. It wasn't until we were in our beds that he questioned me about it. "So Harry… Is there someone you fancy already?"

"Wh-what? N-no, why w-would you think th-that?" This was one of the few times I was glad I already had a stutter.

"Well, you kept losing focus during dinner and you kept looking over in the same direction for a while, blushing, then getting flustered. Which was quite cute honestly." I felt my face go red at how true it was and how logical Draco was being, I felt backed into a corner.

I give in. "Y-yeah… But it's a s-secret." He looks confused, excited, and curious all at once.

His expression changed shortly to expectant. "Who is it? I can keep a secret~!" He looked so sincere and like he wanted to help that it sent a pang through my heart and had me agreeing to let him in on the undisclosed information.

"F-fine… I'll t-tell you, b-but come w-with me first." I grab a special cloak my father had given to me, an Invisibility Cloak. "C-come closer." Once he was standing right next to me, I pulled the cloak over the both of us, watching as our bodies shimmered quickly out of sight, as though they had never existed.

"Wicked! You've got an Invisibility Cloak!" He exclaims as we walk down to the Slytherin Common Area, we slip out the door and walk to the Gryffindor dorms. I pull out a small, folded up piece of parchment from my robes and cast a charm on it to make sure it gets to Ron before I pull Draco along to the library, I had told Hermione to wait for me there. Once we found her, which wasn't difficult with her hair, I fling a portion of the cloak over her.

"Alright. L-let's go, we g-gotta get R-Ron."

"Where are we going, Harry?" "Is this really necessary? We could get in trouble, or even expelled." Draco and Hermione both speak at the same time and I can't help but roll my eyes at Hermione's comment, choosing to ignore it.

I do, however, pause and turn to look at them, grinning. "D-do you guys kn-know about the f-first level girls' l-lavoratory? How n-no one really g-goes in there b-because Moaning M-Myrtle haunts it?" Draco goes even paler, seemingly blanching at the idea of going in there. "And y-yes it's n-necessary. Th-this is all a s-secret, I can't t-tell you wh-where and wh-when others might h-hear." Once we get to Moaning Myrtle's hide out, we find Ron already there, waiting and talking quietly to Myrtle though he looked terrified. All together, we pull off the cloak, allowing Ron to see us. He jumps about ten feet in the air when three bodies appear beside his own out of seemingly nowhere, but then he notes that it is just us.

"Bloody hell Harry! You have an Invisibility Cloak?" I simply nod, clutching the fabric tighter, closer to myself, as I sit on the cold stone ground beside the red-head as Myrtle squeals and sits so close to me, she's almost in my lap.

"Harry! It's been so long! Why don't you visit me more?"

"M-Myrtle, I j-just saw you th-the day b-before yesterd-day."

"That's a long time Harry!" Her face turns into a pout as I turn to talk to everyone else, only to find them looking at me strangely. "Wh-what?" Hermione and Draco both sit as they ask, almost simultaneously, "You've come here before?"

"M-my parents t-told me about M-Myrtle, so I w-wanted to ch-check it out. W-we ended up t-talking and we became f-friends." I shrug as if it was the most natural thing in the world and it was, almost.

"Harry! Why are we here?" Ron asks the second the last word leaves my mouth.

"Um, r-right… I n-need you all t-to help m-me."

"With what?" I think that was Hermione, but it just as easily could have been Draco.

"I-I need t-to get d-detention." While Hermione and Ron both scold me because detention "is no fun!" and "goes on your permanent record! What are you thinking?" Draco simply looked at me, suspicious. Once the two Gryffindors had calmed down, the other Slytherin looked at me and smiled.

"You need detention. Here's what we do."


	4. Harry: Age Eleven Part II

The next day in the Potions class that we just so happened to share with the Gryffindor's, I was sitting beside Draco as usual when he took his borrowed wand from his robe and flicked it toward Ron, catching his robe on fire. Ron, being as overly dramatic as he is, began to shriek, a blood-curdling scream tore from his throat as he felt the heat of the flames licking against the nape of his neck. Snape looked on, sneering for a bit, but when nobody was able to put it out he sighed and flicked his wrist, quenching the flames appetite instantly. He gave the Slytherin's a stern look, as most of us were laughing in some capacity, and announced that we should continue reading the chapter then begin to work on the day's potion as he escorted Mr. Weasley to Madame Pomfrey. The class quickly settled down once the commotion was out of sight, gracing the dungeon with silence. When Snape returned, Professor McGonagall was on his tail, a fierce scowl on her angered face as she entered the room. She quickly set about gathering the wands of all the students still in the room, revealing the last spell cast from each. When it got to be my turn, my stomach rolled in unease as I handed over my wand to the powerful witch.

McGonagall swipes around the 11-inch holly and phoenix feather wand, and out comes the spout of fire which had moments before raced after Ron and charred off the hairs on the back of his neck. The Gryffindors glared at me while many of the Slytherins just laughed some more, a few of the boys standing closer to me patted me on the back. Snape gave me a dark look, but nowhere near as scathing as the one aimed at me from Minerva. "Well, perhaps you should have a little chat with the headmaster." Her usually warm, if stern, voice is icy and hard. I was beginning to wonder if this plan of mine was even worth it, but I nod and follow her through many corridors, up and then down some of the moving staircases before finally pausing at the end of Gargoyle Corridor, leaning in toward the Griffin statue, she whispers into it, resulting in the figure springing to the side to allow us entrance to Dumbledore's office. Gesturing me forward, she speaks sternly. "Well Mister Potter, I assume you can find the rest of your way to the Headmaster's office?"

Nodding my head quickly, I nervously stutter, "Y-yes M-ma'am." She nods her head briskly before turning sharply on her heel, presumably backtracking to the dungeons. Taking a deep breath, I begin to take the seemingly unending winding stairs to the main area of the office, where Professor Dumbledore himself sat in a tall, padded wooden chair placed at a large, desk looking to be divided into three parts. There were books, scrolls, ink wells, quills, and drying splotched ink scattered across the desktop. "H-hello P-Professor Dumbled-dore..." Looking up from the book he was reading, the headmaster's crescent shaped glasses glinted with the light of the fire near Fawkes the Phoenix and natural light filtering in from the windows. Setting the dark green covered book down, he folds his hands atop the only cleared spot.

"Would you care for a sherbet lemon Harry?" He nudges forward a jar like candy dish filled with the lemon flavoured sweets.

"N-no, th-thank you P-Professor." I shake my head and he returns the dish to its mysterious origins after taking one and popping it into his mouth.

"Well then Mister Potter, I presume you know why it is you are here then?" He pushes his spectacles up a bit, covering his glistening blue gaze with the glaring glass once more.

"Y-yes sir..." I lower my head guiltily, though I know I'm not truly the one who performed the stunt.

"Well then Harry, I regret to inform you that you must be punished. You will hear by tonight what that will look like for you." He waves his hand dismissively and I stand to go, as I am about to thank him for his time, he speaks once more. "I do hope, Harry, that this will be the end of your fascination with fire, I performed such a stunt as this in my fourth year, though not on a person, and I do not wish for it to continue for that time." He then picks up the tome he had been reading and began to flip pages once more.

"Y-yes sir." With that, I turned and left the office, making my way back to the dungeons, to the potions class.

MSO~~MSO~~MSO~~MSO~~MSO

When the day is just barely over and I am in my dorm, Draco lying beside me in my bed, discussing the day and worrying over my punishment, there is the sound of knocking coming from the large wooden door. A moment later, it is pushed slowly open to reveal my father, whose face shows him to be positively livid. "Harry. A word. Now." Gulping, I follow my father out of the Slytherin dormitory, out of the dungeons, and into the wing where the professors slept, where I slept up until a couple weeks prior to this moment. Following the taller, older, more muscular version of me without a speech impediment, I allow myself to think about what I'll be telling my parents about 'my' earlier behaviour. I hadn't even begun to come up with a good excuse or story by the time my father had pulled open the door for his and my mother's room. I enter first with my stern faced father behind me.

Once the door was shut completely my mother, who sat on their bed stood, eyes locked on me. "Harry. How could you set another student on fire? That boy's parents could bring us on trial! You're lucky your father is on good terms with the Weasly's and is able to squeeze out of any serious charges! You could have killed the boy Harry!" She speaks so quickly I couldn't get a word in if I wanted to. "Bloody hell Harry, I know you were sorted into Slytherin, but that doesn't mean you have to act like one." This comment spun me around, it had been my father who had said it, not the infuriated woman in front of me.

"If you're going to be behaving like that good for nothing Head of House of yours, I'll have no choice but to stop acknowledging you as my child!" That made me snap, I could no longer take this rant like I thought I could have.

"I-I'm not acting l-like anything b-but myself! A-and if you're go-oing to d-disown me for acting l-like a respectable p-person, s-such as P-professor Snape th-then I n-no longer c-can ackn-nowledge you as my f-f-father! I refuse to st-stand in silence, li-listening to you b-beat do-own a m-man who has n-never done a th-thing to harm y-you, J-James!" My stutter worsens as I grow flustered with anger and my voice rises. I give neither of the adults a chance to comprehend or even speak after my rant, I dash out of my room back toward the dungeons. As I enter the first cold stone corridor now considered as my home, I run face first into a chest clothed in plain black robes. My anger, now very much faded, was replaced entirely with a smile as I pull away from Professor Snape. "I-I'm sorry Pr-professor… I w-wasn't watching where I was g-going you see, and I d-didn't mean to kn-knock into you." I rub my nose and look down a bit, feeling bad for pushing the breath out of him.

He takes a moment to respond after finding air into his lungs once more. "No Harry, all's well… I was looking for you anyway." I'm a bit surprised by his cool reaction to my plowing into him, I tilt my head to the side though as I hear he was searching for me though.

"Looking for me, sir?" My now curious eyes bore into his through the layer of wire rimmed glass perched on my nose.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore has decided on the disciplinary actions for your behaviour."


	5. Harry: Age Eleven Part III

Walking beside Professor Snape to Dumbledore's office to determine my fate was nowhere near as painful as one would escape. The older man was quiet, but not in an uncomfortable way, the silence felt nice, like a welcome escape from the noise that always seemed to haunt me. My parents were both awkward in a long draught of words like they couldn't function without some way to communicate. Sometimes just being away from the mind numbing noise of constant chattering can really help soothe the nerves. A small smile had begun to cross my face when we reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office and it all but disappeared. With a hand on my back, Snape nudges me into the office, directly into Dumbledore's line of sight. "Young Harry, sit." He gestures to the seats opposite his desk, I take the chair I had sat in on my last trip to visit Professor Dumbledore. To my surprise, Snape takes the chair beside me as Dumbledore sits as well. "Harry, we've already discussed what it is you've, so rather than reviewing once more, we all know what happened, let's get straight to it. The disciplinary actions being to taken to punish your inappropriate behaviour is quite simple. A week's worth of detention, carried out as your Head of House sees fit, be it scrubbing cauldrons or writing lines." With that proclamation, he stands, his robes billowing while also managing to appear stiffened with starch. He ushers us 'boys' out and the door all but slams behind us, giving me not even a chance to explain myself or interject.

"Well Potter, I shall see you after class to clean the remains of failing potions. Sleep well." Professor Snape offers as parting words once we reached the Slytherin dorms. I nod, keeping my eyes down as I enter the doorway to the sleeping area. I quickly rummage into my trunk for pajamas and swiftly change before plopping onto my bed to speak with Draco.

"What'd he say, Harry?" The pale boy is on me in an instant, sitting beside me and interrogating with a wicked gleam in his clear blue eyes. I fill him in on the details but quickly begin to drift off, the day has seemed to go by oh so slowly for having so little actually happen. "Hey, Harry..?"

"Mmmm..?" I can barely construct words at this point, my mind has begun to shut down, my eyes refuse to stay open, I might as well be asleep.

"What did your father want anyway..?" He asks haltingly, almost shakily, as if worried he might be offending me in some way. I manage to turn my body and look at him through my sleep deprived eyes.

"T-tell ya in the m-morning..." With that, I drift into true unconsciousness, no longer aware of any question or response he sends my way.

"Harry! Wake up! We'll be late!" Draco is shouting at me altogether way too early for my head to process what's going on.

"'M aw-wake..." I rub at my eyes, pushing hair out of my face and placing my glasses on their designated space, perched atop my nose. Stretching, I stand and begin to pull off the fabric covering my body to replace it with the school robes. I don't bother with subtlety, there was no point in that. "I-I am no l-longer a P-Potter." I say as I pull on the last of my clothing and gather my books for the day.

Draco's eyes grow almost comically large, as though inflated like balloons. I begin to walk out of the room with no regards to whether or not he will follow or sit there in shock, as it looks as though he might do. "What's that supposed to mean Harry?" The blond chases after me, catching up with his eyes just as large.

"J-James said if I-I was to b-be behaving l-like Prof-fessor Snape, h-e would d-disown m-me. I t-told him i-f he was g-going to be-have l-like an arse, th-at's where h-he can shove i-it." Draco's eyes manage to become wider as we sit in our seat for our first class of the day. I pull out a scrap of parchment and write all the news down to relay it to Hermione to pass along to Ron. Folding the yellowish note into a plane, I charm it to fly to the curly haired girl as well as to open only for her.

"Aaah..." In a ten minute span of time, this is all Draco manages to get out before we're swept into class work.


	6. Harry: Age Twelve Part I

"Harry!" I hear Narcissa yelling for me to hurry as I shove the remainder of my textbooks into my trunk.

"C-coming!" I reply quickly, latching my luggage closed. Rushing down the curved staircase, dragging my trunk behind me, I glance back a last time to the room I had slept in for the summer. I would be sad to leave Narcissa. She was so kind, gentle exactly how you wouldn't expect Draco's mother. Exactly how you wouldn't expect a former Death Eater to be. When I had reached the sitting room, where Narcissa, Lucius, and Draco were already gathered, Narcissa holds out a purse full of Floo powder before stepping into the fireplace already lit by the signature green flames, tossing the silvery powder down and speaking her desired destination. After her Lucius, Draco, then myself. "King's Cross Station, platform nine and three quarters." I toss down the powder in front of me, tightening my grip on the handle of my trunk to ensure it isn't lost in my traveling the Floo Network.

Once I stumble out of the receiving flames, I'm glad I had decided to send Hedwig ahead of me to Hogwarts, she despises Flooing. I jog toward the Malfoy's who were just a few feet away, Lucius and Narcissa saying their goodbyes to their son. When Draco glanced over, he motions me forward, so I join them, feeling bad for intruding on their family moment. I grin at them sheepishly. "S-sorry..." Narcissa rolls her eyes at me and pulls me into a hug.

"Have a great year Harry, I will write you, alright?" I nod and she grins. "Thank you, Harry, for becoming Draco's friend. I know he can be difficult sometimes, but he is a good kid, deep down." I nod once more and she pulls in Draco, crushing him into both herself and into me. "I'll see you boys in the winter, alright?" She smiles through the tears falling to her cheeks. I can't help but to smile and pull her close again, mumbling a goodbye before letting her go once more.

We rush to make it onto the train in time to snag a good compartment, one close enough to doors to make a swift exit anyways. After a bit of the long journey back to Hogwarts, I turn to the very blond Draco, who looks about ready to fall asleep, if he wasn't already napping. "Th-thank you," I speak softly, in case he had fallen asleep already. Turning his head towards me, his icy blue gaze gains focus and looks confusedly over my face.

"Why are you thanking me..?" He doesn't seem to realize that if he hadn't invited me to stay with him over the summer break, I would have nowhere else to go. Sure, Ron would have extended an invitation but there's no way I would have accepted. His older brothers were expected to come back home this year to visit them and we weren't especially close. Sure, we spoke outside of class, but he really only talked to me because he felt obligated by Hermione. Our relationship had definitely gone downhill after my setting him on fire, it didn't matter to him that he was a willing participant.

"Y-you di-idn't have t-to open yo-our h-home to m-me..." I lower my eye, feeling slightly self-conscious even in front of my best friend. "I d-didn't re-eally have anywh-where else to g-go, b-but y-you di-idn't h-have to..."My stutter worsens due to my nervousness, my cheeks most likely warmed to a bright pink. I feel a slim finger press under my chin, lifting my head.

"Harry. You're my best friend. I wasn't gonna leave you to fend for yourself over the break. My house is always open for you. Merlin Harry! You're just barely twelve! Mum would be furious if I hadn't dragged you along!" I chuckle quietly, because if I had learned anything about Narcissa over the break, I had learned that she always gets her way, and she is fiercely protective of anything she can get in her clutches, whether it's a wounded animal or a child with nowhere to go.

"Y-your mum i-is wonderf-ful." Draco sighs and releases my face, keeping his eyes on mine, humming his agreement before resting his left temple on the window, gazing out at the flat land before nodding off minutes later. I shake my head at him and pick up the required potions textbook, flipping through the pages, skimming the black ink creating the symbols perceived by the brain to be letters composing words, sentences.

"Harry! Come on mate! We're here!" I'm shaken awake by Draco, a rather large grin on his face as he speaks, not quite in a whisper. Rubbing my face, I straighten up and stretch.

"'M a-awake." I stand, ready to go, to leave the compartment, to step onto the soil of Hogwarts, to feel that magic surge through me. I pick up the textbook that had apparently tumbled from my hands while I had slept. I sleepily make my way to the eating hall with Draco chattering away beside me. "Hey, D-Draco..." I had interrupted his babbling and, though he looked surprised, he went with it. "Th-thanks. For b-being my f-friend." Smiling, he rolls his eyes at me.

"And why wouldn't I be your friend? Weirdo." We laugh a bit and sit ourselves down at the table designated to Slytherin, there's the usual cheering as the first years are sorted.

Halfway through the feast, there's a small snort from Draco and I tear my attention away from the professor's table to look at him questioningly. "Bloody hell Harry, I would've thought you had gotten your fill of Uncle Sev during the break..." My face flushes bright red.

"I!" There is absolutely no way I can defend myself, Snape had come by quite often during the break for dinner and sometimes to simply hang around. I glance back at the table of faculty and my eye is caught by none other than Gilderoy Lockhart, the famous author. "Wha-at is G-Gilderoy L-Lockhart do-oing h-here?" My eyes are unable to stray from the man now they had been caught on him.

Draco could win an award for eye rolling, he did it so often and so well. "He's the new Defense Against Dark Arts professor, apparently last year's Professor Quirinus Quirrell was..." He looks around, lowering his voice. "He was acting as a host for the Dark Lord, like a parasitic relationship, you know?" My eyes widen and I lean in closer, no wonder he had been acting as though he was telling a secret. Though, it was odd Professor Dumbledore hadn't included that in the announcements he so loved to give before eating the first feast of the school year. When Draco turns to laugh with Blaise, I scan the rest of the table in search of more new faces. I find no more New professors, though my gaze does fall on my mother and father, laughing and acting as though there was not a single flaw in the world.

It was that moment my mind finally caught up to Draco's words. If Quirrell had been acting as a host for the Dark Lord, did that mean he had been here, in Hogwarts, supposedly the safest place for us, for a whole year going undetected? Did that mean... He was... Alive..?


	7. Harry: Age Twelve Part II

Once coming to this realization, I snap my head back around to look at Draco. "W-wait! Wh-what?" I ask, cursing the stutter as I'm unable to speak as quickly as I would like without it being unintelligible. I lower my voice again when Draco turns to look at me, leaning in to speak only to him. "V-Voldemort was h-here..? And n-no one kn-knew?" My eyes were wide in disbelief as I question him.

"Later." He whispers back and I try to pry my mind from this news.

"Sh-should we-e talk t-to Herm-mione about this?" I ask, not bothering to mention Ron as he would likely hear it from Hermione or tag along.

"But Ron can't know." The blond speaks firmly, not willing to budge on this one. I simply nod, writing out a quick note on a small piece of parchment, sending it to Hermione. Telling her to meet us at the usual spot.

Once we've all gathered in Myrtle's restroom, I explode. "Wh-what do y-you mean V-Voldem-mort w-was here? H-how c-could n-no one kn-know? Wh-what h-happened? Why w-was he h-here?" My stutter making it much longer than it should have. Hermione's eyes widen as we both turn to Draco. By this time Myrtle had floated over, staying near me as we talk. She stayed a part our conversations, helping when she could.

"I-I'm sorry Harry, I don't know. I only know he was here because I heard Mum and Father talking about it." He holds up his hands as a shield. "They were saying he was looking for something but they didn't say what. So I really don't know. But I'm sure Dumbledore knew, he just didn't do anything about it. I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier Harry," he says with a sheepish expression. "I didn't want to ruin your break and I was going to tell you tonight."

"O-okay..." I say as I calm down a bit.

"What does this mean though? That the Dark Lord is back?" Hermione inserts. Draco only shrugs.

"I-is he g-going to try r-raising back t-to p-power? Wh-what does h-he w-want?" I throw in my own questions. We stay there in silence for a bit as we think, contemplating what's happening. After a few minutes, Hermione stands, brushing herself off.

"Well, we best get to bed. We don't want to be caught out of our dorms after dark."

"Wait, Mione!" Draco holds out a hand to stop her momentarily. "I know you already figured this out, but… Don't tell Ron?" He says, standing as well. As the blond brushes himself off and Hermione nods before walking out, I stand as well.

After the bushy haired Gryffindor is out of the room, I link my arm through Draco's. "S-so. Mione?" I say looking at the boy with a grin while wiggling my eyebrows at him. His cheeks flush a delicate pink and he yanks his arm away.

"Stop it, Harry!" He protests, shoving my lightly as we walk into the corridor, I pause to turn and wave to Myrtle.

"I'll c-come v-visit with y-you t-tomorrow Myrtle!" I call out before the door shuts. I walk to the dungeons with Draco, giggling as he continues to protest. "Just admit it. You like her." I point a finger at him as we reach the corridor before the Slytherin common room entrance.

"I don't think this is the time to be focused on that Harry..." He grumbles as we enter the main area, the giant squid just swimming past one of the windows that gives a look into the lake. I huff a little but give it up as we make our way to the dormitory.

"Fine. But we will discuss this after everything's been sorted out." I say as I remove the robes from my body. I was raised modestly by the Potters, but they still paid more than necessary for various things, my supplies for school being one of them. They had invested a few hundred galleons on this robe alone, leaving the excess fabric so that it could be lengthened as I grew.

"Fine," Draco says, also changing out of his school robes. I change into sleepwear and slip under the deep green silken sheets, turning to face the blond's bed as he does the same.

"Good night Draco."

"Good night Harry." I close my eyes, trying to sleep but failing instead. I lay there for at least an hour, listening to the sounds of Draco's steady breathing and water gently splashing against the wall and window but it does nothing to lull me into sleep. When I can no longer stand simply laying there in silence, I move to sit by one of the windows. The water is dark green, illuminated only by the moonlight, in the inky darkness I can make out the shapes of some creatures swimming nearby every so often, but nothing more. I let my thoughts drift again, my mind settling on the idea of Voldemort. Wandering around these halls as a professor.


	8. Harry: Age Twelve Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang... It's already been more than a year since I updated this...  
> I'm really sorry for the wait. Especially because it's kind of a short chapter...  
> Sorry for any mistakes, I just typed this up in less than an hour because I wanted to get something out for this.

I wake up later, bright light filtering through the window I was seated beside and shining brightly into my eyes, blinding me as I lurch forward, gasping for breath and covered in sweat. The common are was empty, whether that was because it was late and everyone else was already in the dining hall or because it was early and everyone was still asleep was unclear. I shove my glasses up my face, out of the way so I can rub at my eyes, clearing them of sleep as I stretch out my legs, swiveling around to get up from my seat beside the window, moving toward my dorm, my feet shuffling, skidding across the ground in a showcase of how much I truly wanted to be awake at this moment. Pushing open the door, I look around, finding Draco still asleep in bed meant that it was, indeed too early to be awake. Sighing, I ultimately choose to be awake early and begin getting ready for the day. I was too tired to want to do anything other than sleep some more, but I find myself easily getting changed into robes. I was just about completely dressed when I could cloth rustling and from the corner of my eye I could see Draco pulling himself up into a sitting position. “M-morning...” I mumble, my voice still basically a croak from the sleepy haze I could still feel settled over me.

“Mmm...” The blond hums in response, clearly too tired to think about words as he slowly moves off the bed, stumbling a bit as he begins to get himself ready for the day. “Morning, Harry.” He finally responds verbally as he pulls his night shirt over his head.

“B-bathroom.” I say under my breath, though still loud enough for the other boy to hear, as an explanation as I walk out of the room, going to the bathroom to brush my teeth before going back to the dorm where Draco already looked much better put together, school robes on and he was working on getting his hair combed into place. “I’m g-going to the D-dining H-hall.” I say, pushing my fingers through my hair in my own version of styling as I head to the door. The young Malfoy nods, but doesn’t say anything and I roll my eyes at him.

I begin making my way to the Dining Hall by myself, a few of the other Slytherins had already done the same and were a few feet ahead from me. I didn’t bother catching up, they looked like upperclassmen, probably none that I knew. I make my way to the large room a bit slower than usual and I still get there before most other people, the Head Table was only half full as it was. Dumbledore was there and so were Professor Quirrell and Professor Snape, the later of the two were seat next to each other, speaking quietly.

I take a seat at the Slytherin table, placing some food onto my plate and eating slowly as I wait for the room to become a bit more full. I wasn’t sitting alone for long, Hermione had come in and sat herself across from me. “Good morning, Harry.” She says pleasantly, she was too much of an early riser, able to function this early in the day.

“M-morning, ‘M-mione.” I reply, definitely mumbling, I was grateful that Hermione was actually lenient in the mornings, knowing that I couldn’t really focus on anything until an hour that was actually into the double digits.

“You’re up rather early.” She remarks casually, filling her own plate with food as I take a sip from my cup, filled with pumpkin juice.

“N-nightmare.” I respond, answering her unasked question of why.

“You should really think about asking Madame Pomfrey for a Sleeping Draught, you know. You’ll be able to sleep easier and it will ease your night terrors.” She says, voice tinged with that ‘I know everything about this’ tone, but I knew she wasn’t being snotty about it, there was more concern than anything in her words.

“I d-don’t want to. I c-can ha-andle a f-few nightm-mares, ‘Mione.” I answer her just as quickly as she had me. We had already had this conversation a few times over the course of the last year and I wasn’t changing that decision now. “B-besides, th-there are m-more imp-portant things w-worry about right n-now...” I remind her in a pointed voice while glancing over to the Head Table meaningfully.

“I suppose you’re right… But I still think you shouldn’t just deal with those nightmares.” She concedes, lips pursed as she follows my gaze, her own eyes roaming over the line of professors seated and eating their breakfast. “Who do you think it is..? There aren’t any new professors. And there isn’t anyone missing, either.” She asks, voice lowering as she leans in a bit to lessen the risk of anyone else hearing her.

“I d-don’t know ‘M-mione. I g-guess that’s k-kinda the p-point, though...” I say, shrugging a bit while rolling my eyes at her question. If even the teachers here didn’t know about Voldemort walking around in the castle, how were a couple of second years supposed to pinpoint who it was? I wasn’t able to say anything else because Draco seated himself beside Hermione, greeting her much more animatedly than he had me. I roll my eyes at them and let my mind wonder.


End file.
